Ideally, you want your job search to be as short and painless as possible and lead you to the best vacancy on the job market. The best way to improve the way you connect with potential employers is to put together a job search strategy and use it as a daily guide. Follow these steps to create a strategy that works:
- Perform a Self-Analysis – Take a hard look at yourself and identify your strengths and weaknesses, the kind of work you do and do not like, and your short- and long-term career goals. Asking these basic questions can help you focus your search significantly.
- Identify Potential Employers – Once you know what kind of job you’d like to have, look for companies/industries that offer that kind of work. It doesn’t matter if they are currently advertising vacancies. Put together the largest list that you can.
- Do Your Research – Begin researching the companies on your list to determine whether or not they are hiring and if they have any current or impending vacancies. Any companies that don’t meet your parameters should be eliminated from the list.
- Get Your Documents in Order – Put together a complete resume, a stock cover letter, a portfolio, and any other documents supporting your credentials. You will need to tailor each one of these documents to the specific jobs you apply for, but that process is faster and easier when you’ve already collected the information.
- Grow Your Network – As you begin to target specific employers, examine your professional network for any potential connections. At the same time, try to grow your network and build bridges into companies that interest you.
- Connect and Adapt – Now it’s time to start applying. Make sure you’ve customized all your application documents, cleaned up your social media profiles, and identified your value as a candidate. As you start to get interview requests or rejection letters back, figure out what is working/not working and adjust your approach accordingly.
- Track Your Progress – You should track your progress starting on day one and examine the data closely as your job search progresses. How many applications are you sending out each week? How much time are you spending looking for vacancies? Are you doing too much or too little. Your search will take a lot of time and work but it shouldn’t run you into the ground.
As a final thought, remember that you are not alone when searching for a job. There are a number of experts and resources available to help you find more vacancies at better companies and make meaningful connections faster. Learn more by contacting the job placement specialists at Selectek.